Housing member



Sept. 16, 1969 J DELL ET AL 3,467,942

HOUSING MEMBER Filed March 10, 1965 N INVENTOR. \26 1 1- HARRY Jenn can.

5 By Chum. Rcsem' STQyiRIII United States Patent 3,467,942 HOUSING MEMBER Harry John Dell, Camp Hill, and Charles Robert Stoyer III, Enola, Pa., assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Mar. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 438,573 Int. Cl. H01r 25/04, 13/54 U.S. Cl. 33949 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A housing member comprises identical parts, each of the parts having one secion offset from another section so that the one section of each part engages the other section of each part in an intermeshed condition so that latching means on each part mainlain the parts in the intermeshed condition with electrical connectors in passageways of the pars being maintained in mated connection. Projections surround entrance of the passageways of the one section of each part and these projections extend into corresponding passageways of the oher section of each part when the pars are latched together to provide insulation around the mated electrical connectors.

This inven ion relates to a housing member and more particularly to a housing member to house electrical connectors and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a housing member having identical parts.

Anoiher object of the present invention is to provide a housing member in which the parts are polarized.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a housing member wherein projections on one section of a part of the housing telescope into'respe'ctive passages of another section of another part of the housing to maintain the connectors insulated.

An additional object of the present invention is the provision of a housing member wherein each part of the housing member has be h parts of electrical connectors removably mouned therein.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a housing member with each part having opposite sections of latching means to latch both parts of the housing member together.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a housing member that is simple and economical to manufacture and that is readily assembled in a polarized and latched position.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed descripion when taken in conjuncion with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaus'ive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration in order that others skilled in the art may fully understand the invention and the principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms. each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspec ive view of a housing member in its latched position with electrical connectors therein in a connected condition;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the housing member of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG- URE 2;

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FIGURE 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of FIG- URE l; and

FIGURE 5 is a part side-elevational and exploded view showing one of the latching means of the housing member.

Turning now to the drawings, housing member HM includes parts 1 and 2 which are of identical configuration. Housing member HM is made from a suitable plastic material; such as, for example, nylon, propylene, etc. Parts 1 and 2 are preferably manufactured by conventional injection folding techniques; and, since each part is iden ical, the cost of the mold for the housing member is substantially reduced. In selecting the material to mold the housing member, it is important that it be relatively firm and hard after the molding operation has been performed in order that the parts of the housing member have stiflly-flexible characteristics.

Each of parts 1 and 2 comprises a pin section 3 and a socket section 4. As can be discerned, section 4 extends outwardly beyond seciion 3 so that these sections are offset from each o'her in a stepped manner.

A stifilv-flexible latching arm 5 extends outwardly from the side of section 3 and extends forwardly in a direction toward the front of the respective part wi'h which it is integrally connected. Latching arm 5 extends outwardly at a slight angular position wih respect to the plane containing the side of section 3 from which it extends. A latching surface 6 extends outwardly from laching arm 5 in a position to the rear of the outer free end of latching arm 5. Latching surface 6 is disposed at a slight angle in a direction away from the outer free end of the latching arm (see FIGURE 5), and the outer end of surface 6 merges with an inclined surface 7 which terminates at the outer end of latching arm 5. An extension 8 extends outwardly from the side of section 4 and has a rec angular opening 9 extending therethrough. A beveled surface 10 is locaed within opening 9 and opposite the side of section 4 from which ex ension 8 integrally extends, as illustrated in FIGURE 5. The rear surface of extension 8 from the end of bevelled surface 10 to the outer end of extension 8 is inclined, as indicated by 11 in FIGURE 5. The inclination of inclined surface 11 is similar to that of latching surface 6.

A series of passageways 12 extend through section 3 while a series of passageways 13 extend through section 4. Each of passageways 12 and 13 receives a respective pin 14 and socket 15 of the type disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 352,600, filed Mar. 17, 1964, now US. Patent 3,311,866, and assigned to present assignee. Pins 14 and sockets 15 are preferably crimped onto the conductive portion and the insulation of leads 16 via crimping ferrule 17. Of course, the crimping ferrules are disposed within their respective passageways of parts 1 and 2 in order to provide adequate insulation therefor. A lance member 18 of the type disclosed in US. Patent 3,292,137, and assigned to the present assignee, is located on each pin and socket and the lance member on socket 15 is seated between an integral angular lip 20 and the wall of passageway 13 housing socket 15. The function of angular lip 20 is completely disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 339,722, filed Jan. 23, 1964, now US. Patent 3,319,212, and assigned to the present assignee. While the foregoing pin and socket have been disclosed in conjunction with the present invention, it is obvious that other types of connector members can be housed in the present invention. Projection 21 surrounds the front entrance of each passageway 12 and the outer surface of this projection has a frustoconical configuration.

In assembly, pins 14 and sockets 15 are disposed in their respective passageways 12 and 13. Lugs 22 on the pins and sockets limit the inner movement of the pins and sockets in their respective passageways as well as providing stabilization therewithin and lance members 18 prevent the pin and sockets from being pushed out of their respective passageways unless the lance members are moved out of engagement with angular recess 19 and angular lip 20 by means of a suitable tool (not shown). After pins 14 and sockets 15 have been placed in their respective passageways, parts 1 and 2 can be brought into latching engagement. As illustrated in FIGURE 2, sections 3 and 4 of part 1 are placed in alignment with respect to sections 4 and 3 of part 2, and latching arm 5 of each part is in alignment with opening 9 of extension 8 of each part. Thus, each pin 14 in pin sections 3 is adapted to engage each respective socket 15 in socket sections 4. Parts 1 and 2 are then brought together to form housing member 1, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and to bring pins 14 of each part into respective engagement with sockets 15 of each part.

As the parts are moved together, the pins in each part engage the sockets in each part which aid in guiding the parts together and to properly align latching arms 5 with respective openings 9 in extensions 8. Sections 3 and 4 of each part intermesh with respective sections thereof, inclined surfaces 7 of latching arms 5 engage beveled surfaces 10 in openings 9 of extensions 8 causing latching arms 5 to be cammed inwardly as the parts move together and, after the front surfaces of the sections become engaged, latching surfaces 6 move free of beveled surfaces 10 and latching arms 5 cause latching surfaces 6 to snap outwardly into latching alignment with inclined surfaces 11, thereby causing the parts of the housing member to be in a latched condition, as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In order to unlatch the parts of the housing member, force is preferably applied to inclined surfaces 7 to move latching arms 5 in an inward direction until latching surfaces 6 are in a position to be freely movable past beveled surfaces 10 whereupon forces are applied to parts 1 and 2 thereby moving the parts out of engagement with each other. Of course, a housing member having more or less than the number of pins and sockets that are illustrated can be used, and the housing member can be provided with more than a single row of pins and sockets. When the parts of the housing member are in a latched position as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, sections 21 extend into passageways 13 in order to provide insulation between pins and sockets when the parts of the housing member are in a latched position. This is necessary because there is a certain amount of play between the parts of the housing member when they are in their latched position.

As can be discerned, there has been disclosed a housing member wherein both parts are identical so that only one mold is necessary to provide both parts of the housing member which makes the housing member simple and economical to manufacture as well as the mold parts therefor. Since both elements of a connection assembly can be disposed in respective sections of each part of the housing member and each section of each part of the housing member intermeshes with another section of each part of the housing member, the housing member provides a polarizing concept to insure that one of the elements of the connection assembly properly engages the other of the elements of the connection assembly when the parts of the housing member are brought into an intermeshed position. Thus, each part of the housing member has both parts of the connection assembly removably mounted therein. Each part of the housing .4 member has opposite sections of latching means to latch both parts of the housing member together.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved;- however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention, which is shown and described herein, is intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A latchable housing member for interconnecting matable connector elements comprising identical parts each provided with a first section and a second section with the first section being offset with respect to the second section and with parallel passages extending through said sections for removably receiving one of the matable connector elements in the first section and another of the matable connector elements in the second section, the first sections of each of said parts being mateable with the second sections of the other of said parts, an integral stifily-flexible latching arm extending outwardly from one side of each part and extending toward a front end of each part, said latching arm including a latching surface, an integral extension having an opening therein extending outwardly from another side of each part opposite the one side, the latching surfaces of the latching arms of each part being extenda-ble into the openings of the extensions and latchably engaging the extensions to maintain the parts in a latched condition whereby the connector elements in the first section of each part are matable with the connector elements in the second section of each part, and projections surrounding the front entrances of the passageways of the first sections of each part, said projections extending into corresponding passageways of the second sections of each part when the parts are in said latched condition to provide insulation around the mated connector elements.

2. A latchable housing member according to claim 1 wherein the connector elements receivable in the first section of each part extend outwardly from a front surface thereof to a point adjacent a plane containing a front surface of the second section and the connector elements receivable in the second section are completely covered thereby.

3. A latchable housing member according to claim 1 wherein camming surfaces are provided on the latching arms and in the openings to move the latching arms toward the sides of the parts from which the latching arms depend during the latching and unlatching of the parts.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,769 2/1889 Carrie 33949 X 551,930 12/1895 Greene 33949 X 72,124,207 7/ 193 8 Necsen 33949 2,386,177 10/1945 Andersen 33949 2,891,103 6/1959 Swengel 339126 X 3,086,188 4/1963 Ross 33949 3,112,148 11/1963 Wochner 339116 3,129,993 4/1964 Ross 33949 3,281,753 10/1966 Fink 33949 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 339 91 

